Kittens
Your new kitten deserves the best!
Time and energy spent on health care and training now will be repaid a thousand times over in the next 20 years.
Welcoming a new kitten into your family is exciting but demanding. Try and free up a couple of days to be at home with your kitten to help her or him adjust to the new surroundings.
A carrier helps a little kitten feel more secure. Don’t use another pet’s carrier because the stranger’s scent could be stressful to your kitten. Line the carrier with newspaper and a towel for warmth and to absorb any urine. Cover the carrier with an extra towel.
Your kitten's space
Providing a warm, comfortable bed is essential. Purchase a pet bed or line a box with something soft. A teeshirt that you’ve worn will help your kitten get used to your scent.
The first veterinary visit
Schedule your kitten’s first veterinary visit as soon as possible, preferably before you take him or her home. Check our blog for hints on making car rides and vet visits less stressful. We will give him or her a full physical examination, test and treat for parasites, and check the vaccination history and microchip. We’ll also discuss the most appropriate diet, toys, training, age to desex, bedding and litter habits for your particular kitten. We want the best and strongest start to your life together.
After your kitten has been to your veterinarian, becomes comfortable in his or her room, and develops a regular routine of eating, drinking, and using the litterbox, let him or her venture into the rest of your house.
Diet
Kittens require two to three times as many calories and nutrients as adult cats. It is essential that they have a high quality kitten dry and wet diet. We recommend the Hill’s VetEssentials Kitten diet. Introduce other flavours and textures in small quantities so that your kitten is not fussy later in life. Strips of different meats and small bones like chicken necks prevent dental disease.
Avoid cow’s milk because it gives most kittens and cats diarrhea.
Socialisation
Cats learn how to socialise with each other from their mother and littermates and ideally should remain with them until 10 weeks of age. Regular gentle human contact in the first 12 weeks ensures positive human interaction and bonds kittens to their carers. Kittens bred in homes where they interact with people all the time make the best companions. If you purchase your kitten from a breeder we recommend that you visit the facility to assess how much the kittens are handled and their general living conditions.
Introduce your kitten to other pets with care and under supervision. Always have a dog on a lead at the start.
